On every engine apparatus you will find a variety of appliances and adapters that allow firefighters to overcome issues that arise during hoseline operations. For many fire departments though, this variety does not include the 1½ x 2½-inch increaser. This missing adapter can be an essential component of the hoseline operation though when the 2½-inch hoseline is utilized and the hoseline is stretched short.
If the hoseline is stretched short, it must be extended in order to reach the fire area. Hopefully, a breakaway (two-piece) nozzle is being used, as this will allow for the extension of the hoseline without shutting down the water supply to the nozzle. This is because the breakaway nozzle allows for the nozzle tip to be removed. The tip of a breakaway nozzle is connected to the male hose threads that are located on the outlet side of the nozzle shutoff. The same hose threads that connect the nozzle tip to the nozzle shutoff can be used to connect additional lengths of hoseline to the outlet end of the nozzle to extend the length of the hoseline.
Falling short
It is important to understand the thread sizes on breakaway nozzles when using them to extend the length of a hoseline. A 1½-inch nozzle shutoff and a 2½-inch nozzle shutoff have more in common than some firefighters realize. Many times, the only difference is the size of the nozzle shutoff’s female hose threads on the inlet side of the nozzle. Regardless of the size of these female hose threads, the male hose threads on the outlet side of the nozzle shutoff remain the same, 1½ inches. For example, the 1½-inch Elkhart Brass XD shutoff possess a 1½-inch inlet, a 1.375-inch waterway and a 1½-inch outlet, while the 2½-inch Elkhart Brass XD shutoff possesses a 2½-inch inlet, a 1.375-inch waterway and a 1½-inch outlet. With the outlet thread size of a 2½-inch nozzle shutoff being 1½ inches, only hoselines with 1½-inch couplings can be connected to the outlet of the nozzle shutoff.
Only being able to extend a 2½-inch hoseline with a hoseline that possesses 1½-inch couplings presents an additional problem to the hoseline operation that has already been plagued with a short stretch. The extension of the hoseline using a smaller size hoseline as the working length of the hoseline will result in a reduction in the flow rate. A reduced flow rate for the working length of the hoseline, which will be the length of the hoseline that will reach the fire area, is not advisable. If a 2½-inch hoseline was selected, it was selected for its flow, reach and penetration capabilities. None of these three capabilities should be compromised due to a short stretch. By extending the hoseline using a smaller size hoseline with 1½-inch couplings, the result will be a reduction in these capabilities.
Increase your options
If firefighters have an increaser available to them during the operation, they can extend the length of the hoseline using additional lengths of 2½-inch hoseline rather than using a smaller size hoseline. The increaser possesses 1½-inch female threads on the inlet side of the adapter and 2½-inch male threads on the outlet side. Once the tip of the breakaway nozzle is removed, the increaser can be connected to the 1½-inch male threads on the outlet size of the nozzle. Additional lengths of 2½-inch hoseline, along with an additional nozzle, can then be used to extend the length of the hoseline.
After connecting the additional length/lengths of hoseline to the outlet side of the increaser, the nozzle control bale can be opened, charging the additional length/lengths of hoseline. Like any other hoseline extension operation using a breakaway nozzle, once the control bale is opened and the additional length/lengths of hoseline are charged, the nozzle control bale must be secured in the open position to prevent it from accidentally closing, which would result in the elimination of the water supply to the additional length/lengths of hoseline and nozzle. The additional length/lengths of hoseline should be in the form of high-rise hose packs, which have multiple benefits for this operation. High-rise hose packs are easily transported to where they are needed, at least one length of hoseline in the high-rise hose pack already possess a nozzle (an additional nozzle is needed anytime a hoseline is extended using a breakaway nozzle), and high-rise hose packs are held together with some type of strap or rope. This rope can also be used to secure the nozzle control bale in the open position once the hoseline is extended.
It is also important to understand the design of the increaser. Some increasers possess lugs similar to those found on hose couplings to allow for grip during use, while others are knurled to allow for grip. The biggest issue with the increasers that possess lugs is the inability to be connected to the outlet threads of some breakaway nozzles without partially opening the nozzle’s control bale. This is because the increaser’s lugs do not clear the nozzle’s control bale and instead strike the control bale while connecting the increaser to the nozzle. A simple solution is to grind down the increaser’s lugs to a smaller size so that they will clear the nozzle’s control bale.
In sum
Every engine apparatus should possess at least one 1½ x 2½-inch increaser to allow for the extension of a 2½-inch hoseline without reducing the size of the hoseline, which results in a reduction of the hoseline’s flow rate. This forfeiture of flow can easily be avoided by simply using of a 1½ x 2½-inch increaser.
